The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-17
THE NEW CONGRESS.
MEMBERS WHO WILL SERVE
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
The New Faces in Both Houses
will Number 141-SOme Inter-
sting Facts About the
Budding Statesmen.

A Washington correspondent of the
New York San says that In the Flttleth
Congress, which meets for the first time
| on the first Monday in December next,
there are al new Representatives and
Senators. Of these 40 are lawyers, 3S
have served in the Legislatures of their
States, and 80 are college graduates-a
high average of ability, and one that be-
speaks from the old members of Con-
grcss very polite consideration.
The average age of the new members
is about forty-fve. James Phelan, of
Memphis, will be the youngest man of
the Fiftieth Congress. He was born De-
cember 5, 1856, and will lack two days
of being thirty-one years old the day he
takes his seat. His father was Senator
in the Confederate Congress from Missis-
sippi, and young Phelan enters public life
with only boys very faint recollections
of the war period. The oldest member
is General Eandcver, of California. He
was born March 81, 1917, and will be
well on in his seventy-frst year when ne
takes his seat.
Judge Miles Toby Granger, of Con-
nccticut, will also be seventy years old
when he takes his seat, but he is five
months younger than General Vandever.
Judge Granger and Governor Davis, of
Minnesota, are the only LII. DIS.
There are nine ex-Confedcrates among
the new members and thirteen Union
soldiers. The Confedcratcs are not
Brigadiers by any means, the highest
rank attained by any of them belonging
to Senator Daniel, of Virginia, who was
Ad diutant- General of Jubal Early's di-
vision. Most of the ex-Confederate
members were Lieutenants or Captains.
The highest rank attained by any OF the
Union soldiers was Gcncal Nandever
Going into the war as Colonel, he was
made Brigadier in 1862 and Major
General in 1865.
Congressman Boothman, of Ohio, lost
his left leg in the service. He seems to
be the only MANNED man among the new
members, with the exception of Congress
man John Lind, of Minnesota, who lost
his right arm in threshing machine.
An interesting fact appears in the ma
tivity of the new members. Most of
them were born in The States they repre-
sent. Conger, Mcdonald of Minnesota,
Kerr of Ohio, and White were born in
Scotland. Congressman Hagen, of Wis
consin, was born in Norway. Congress-
man Lind, of Minnesota, was born in
Sweden. Mr.. Lagen, of Louisiana, and
Judge Wilson, of Minnesota, were born
in Ireland. Fifty-four new members
we're born in the States they come from.
Very few carpet -baggers appear in the
list. Perhaps George Vandever, of Cali
fornia, is best emitted to this name. He
went to California from Iowa in 1914,
and was elected to Congress before he
had been there two years. He served in
Congress two terms from Iowa before the
war.
The literary men show up we'll in the
additions to the Fiftieth Congress.
Henry Cabot Lodge says: my business
is literature" Senator Daniel alludes to
the fact that he is author of "Daniel on
Negotiable Instruments" There are not
many clergymen in the next Congress.
Stewart, Of Georgia, and Mckinney, of
New Hampshire, are ministers. McKin-
ney served through the war and went
through college after he was twenty
eight years old, in order to enter the
ministry.
The list of editors includes Mr.. Amos
]. Cummings, editor of the Erening Sun;
Mr.. Carlton, of the Athens (Ga Banner;
Euloc, of the Jackson TriJane, and Mr..
Thompson, of the Sonoma (Cal.) Demo-
crat.
There are two Mexican war veterans
Rice of Minnesota, and Hare of Ohio.
There is one ex-senator in the new
House, Buckalew, of Pennsylvania; and
two ex-Governors appear in the next
Congress, Senator Davis, of Minnesota,
and Governor Gear, of Iowa.
Among the laboring men is Senator
Blodgett, of New Jersey, who began life
as an apprentice in the Amoskeag Engine
Works: Congressman Nichols, of North
Carolina, who served six years as an ap-
prentice in a printing office; Henry
Smith, of Milwaukee, who is a mill
wright, and was elected by the Peoples
Labor party; and J. B. White, of Indi-
ana, who was calico printer in Scotland,
and has been a tailor for many years in
this country, although he is now amanu-
facturer of carriage wheels.